Crepes with Chicken and Potato are a savory French-inspired dish featuring lemon-poached chicken, tender diced potato, caramelized onion, and shredded Gruyère. The crepes are finished with a silky lemon béchamel sauce, fresh diced tomato, and chopped chives for brightness—perfect for lunch or a light dinner.
This recipe is inspired by classic bistro crepes but remains approachable. The combination of gently poached chicken, soft potatoes, sweet caramelized onions, and nutty Gruyère is balanced by a quick lemon béchamel and fresh tomato. You can make the crepes and several components a day ahead, which makes this dish great for entertaining or an easy weeknight meal.
Why you will love this recipe
If you’ve ever wanted a bistro-style crepe at home, this recipe delivers. The flavors are layered: tender, lemon-scented chicken; creamy potatoes; sweet caramelized onions; and melted Gruyère. A bright lemon béchamel lifts the dish and adds a silky finish. The method is straightforward and uses familiar ingredients and basic equipment.
You’ll appreciate that the crepes require no special pans—an 8-inch nonstick skillet and a rubber spatula are all you need. The components are simple but combined they feel indulgent and elegant. Caramelizing onions takes time but minimal hands-on work, poaching the chicken keeps it moist, and the lemon béchamel comes together in minutes while the crepes bake.
Make the crepes and components ahead if you like: crepes and caramelized onions keep well for a day, and the béchamel reheats gently. The chicken-potato filling can be assembled ahead, though fresh filling will be slightly more tender.
The ingredients
For the chicken and potato filling
- Unsalted butter, white onion, and a little granulated sugar for caramelizing the onions.
- Fresh lemons and chicken tenderloins for poaching. You can substitute cut-up chicken breast if preferred.
- A Russet potato (or Yukon Gold or red potatoes). If skins are thin, leaving them on is fine.
- Gruyère cheese for its nutty, melty quality. If unavailable, Fontina or Gouda are good substitutes.
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to season.
For the lemon béchamel sauce
- Unsalted butter and all-purpose flour to make a roux that thickens the sauce.
- Milk (2% works well) to create a creamy base—avoid skim milk for best texture.
- Kosher salt to season.
- Fresh lemon juice and the zest of half a lemon for bright citrus flavor.
How to make crepes with chicken and potato
The recipe has several steps, but each is straightforward and manageable. You can work on components concurrently—caramelize the onions first, then make the crepes while the onions cook, poach the chicken, and simmer the potatoes. Assemble and bake, then finish with the lemon béchamel and garnish.
Caramelize the onions
Sauté sliced onions in butter over medium-low heat with a pinch of sugar, stirring regularly. Keep the heat low enough to avoid burning; the process takes about 40–45 minutes until the onions are soft and a deep caramel color. Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the crepes and chicken-potato filling
While the onions cook, prepare the crepes, poach the chicken, and simmer the potatoes. For the chicken: add quartered lemons and their juice to a pot of water, bring to a simmer, add the chicken, and poach about 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Let cool, then dice into ½-inch pieces.
For the potatoes: peel (if desired) and dice, cover with cold water, bring to a simmer, and cook until fork-tender—about 8 minutes from cold. Drain.
Toss the diced chicken, potatoes, caramelized onions, shredded Gruyère, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Spoon the filling into each crepe, roll, and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350°F until heated through and the cheese is melty, about 15–20 minutes.
Make the lemon béchamel sauce
The lemon béchamel is quick and can be made while the crepes bake. Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook 1–2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickly coats a spoon. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and zest, and adjust seasoning with salt.
Garnish and serve
Arrange two crepes per plate, drizzle generously with lemon béchamel, and sprinkle with chopped chives and diced tomato. For buffet-style serving, drizzle the sauce over the full baking dish and scatter the chives and tomato before bringing it to the table.
FAQs
Crepes and caramelized onions can be made a day ahead without losing quality. The chicken-potato filling can be prepared in advance, though it’s best fresh for maximum tenderness. The lemon béchamel can be made ahead and gently reheated, whisking to prevent separation.
Top the baked crepes with lemon béchamel, chives, and tomato, cover with foil, and transport in the baking dish for buffet-style serving. This keeps them warm and presentable.
Yes. Use whichever cut you prefer; adjust poaching time based on piece size to reach a safe internal temperature.
Traditional galettes use buckwheat, and some restaurants use them for savory crepes. This recipe uses a dependable, easy savory crepe batter that’s more approachable for many home cooks while remaining inspired by French flavors.
Yes. Leftovers reheat nicely in the microwave or a warm oven—just a minute or two in the microwave or a short time at low oven heat to avoid drying out.
Last tips
Add the lemon to the béchamel only after it has thickened; adding acid too early can cause curdling. When caramelizing onions, start by stirring less often to encourage contact with the pan, then stir more frequently toward the end to prevent sticking. Don’t worry about lemon seeds in the poaching water; they won’t adhere to the chicken. If you make the entire filling a day ahead, add a few extra minutes to baking time since chilled filling will need a bit more heat.
Crepes with Chicken and Potato
Ingredients
- 12 Savory Crepes (see crepe recipe)
For the chicken and potato filling
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 white onion quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins or chicken breast cut into strips
- 3 lemons quartered
- 1 Russet potato peeled and ½-inch dice
- 6 oz Gruyère cheese shredded
- 2 pinches kosher salt
- 1 pinch fresh cracked pepper
For the lemon béchamel sauce
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- zest of half a lemon
Garnish
- ¼ cup chopped chives
- 1 large tomato diced
Instructions
Caramelize the onions
-
Melt butter in a large frypan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sugar, reduce heat if they begin to brown, and cook 40–45 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and caramel in color. Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the chicken-potato filling
-
Fill a large pot one-third to one-half full with water. Add the quartered lemons and squeeze to release juice. Bring to a simmer, add the chicken, and cook 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Remove chicken, cool slightly, and chop into ½-inch pieces.
-
Place potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a simmer, and cook until fork-tender (~8 minutes from cold). Drain and set aside.
-
Combine chicken, potatoes, caramelized onions, Gruyère, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Assemble crepes and bake
-
Preheat oven to 350°F.
-
Lay out a crepe and add roughly 1/12th of the filling. Roll the crepe around the filling and place in a baking dish. Repeat with remaining crepes, using additional dishes if needed.
-
Bake 15–20 minutes until heated through, cheese is melty, and edges are slightly crisp. Remove from oven.
Make the lemon béchamel sauce
-
While crepes bake, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook 1–2 minutes.
-
Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly, and cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
-
Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and zest, and season with salt.
Garnish and serve
-
Top baked crepes with lemon béchamel, chopped chives, and diced tomato. Serve immediately.
Notes
Cook time and calories shown exclude the crepes; see the savory crepe recipe for crepe prep details. Serving size is two crepes for a light meal or lunch; increase to three crepes for a heartier dinner.
Nutrition
| Calories: 340kcal
| Carbohydrates: 22g
| Protein: 33g
| Fat: 15g